A fuel storage tank is a pressure vessel or atmospheric container specifically designed and constructed to safely store petroleum-based fuels — including diesel, petrol, aviation fuel, and heating fuel — at mining sites, processing facilities, power stations, and other industrial installations. Fuel storage tanks are a fundamental infrastructure component of mining operations across all commodity sectors including bauxite, gold, iron ore, and diamond mining, where continuous and reliable fuel supply is essential to operational continuity.
Fuel storage tanks are classified by several criteria. By installation type, they are categorized as above-ground storage tanks (ASTs) or underground storage tanks (USTs), each with distinct regulatory requirements and environmental risk profiles. By construction material, they are typically fabricated from mild carbon steel, stainless steel (for specialty fuels or corrosive environments), fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for smaller applications. By design standard, they are built to API 650 (welded steel, atmospheric pressure, above-ground), API 620 (large, low-pressure tanks), or UL-142 (for shop-fabricated ASTs).
Large above-ground tanks at mining fuel farms may have capacities ranging from 200,000 to 5,000,000 liters. They are commonly designed with fixed cone roofs (for smaller tanks) or internal floating roofs (to minimize vapor losses for large diesel tanks), and are mounted on engineered foundations — either a compacted, graded gravel pad with a concrete ring beam, or a full concrete mat foundation — to prevent differential settlement. All ASTs must be located within a fully impermeable, engineered bund (secondary containment area) capable of retaining 110% of the largest tank's capacity in the event of a catastrophic breach.
Tank integrity is maintained through regular internal and external inspections carried out in accordance with API 653 (Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction), which prescribes minimum inspection intervals, ultrasonic thickness measurement of shell and base plates, floor scanning techniques, and acceptance criteria for remaining service life assessment. Corrosion protection is achieved through internal epoxy coatings, external paint systems, and cathodic protection (impressed current or sacrificial anode systems) for buried or partially buried tanks.